Will only laughed, and the boys began the collection of rabbits and squirrels and ducks until Thede was pretty well loaded down.  They all walked along together until they came to where it would be necessary to part company because of the different directions to be taken.

There Will and Tommy turned toward the south while Thede kept straight on toward the cottage on the island in the swamp.

“There’s one thing we forgot,” Tommy suggested as the boys tramped laboriously through the snow.  “We forgot to bring along anything to eat!”

“Yes, we did!” laughed Will.  “Don’t you think I’ll ever start out on a tramp with you without plenty of provisions.”

The boy opened his heavy coat and revealed inside pockets packed with sandwiches made of venison steak and bread, with now and then a sandwich composed of stewed meat and griddle cakes, for variety.

“We won’t have to go home tonight, now, will we?” laughed Tommy.

“In Chicago,” Will began, “we had a boy in our office we used to call The-Young-Man-Afraid-Of-His-Bed.  You must be related to him, for I have never known you to go to bed without objecting, or to get up without thinking how much time you had wasted!”

“Never you mind me!” replied Tommy.  “You wait till you get into some of those caverns in the hills and build a roaring fire, and I’ll show you that you’re not the only boy that can provide provisions.”

“You mustn’t do any shooting over there!” warned Will.  “We might as well go in quest of the Little Brass God with a band!”

“That’s a fact!” agreed Tommy in a discouraged tone.

The boys first visited the cave where George had seen the Little Brass God grinning down from the wall.  There seemed to be no one within miles of them.

While they talked, however, a shadow fell on the oblong bit of light which marked the entrance, and a tall figure with one bandaged wrist, leaning on the barrel of a rifle, stood gazing down upon them with hatred flashing from his eyes.

“It’s Antoine!” whispered Will.

“Yes, and he won’t do a thing to us now!” whispered Tommy.

CHAPTER XVI

ANTOINE ON THE RUN

Antoine regarded the boys steadily for a moment without moving a muscle.  Will and Tommy believed that the fellow meant mischief, and were wondering if they would be able to get their automatics from their pockets before he could bring his rifle to a shooting level.

One question had at least been answered.  The boys had been wondering ever since settling at the cabin whether Antoine had not taken his departure from that country.  His presence there at that time answered this question in the most uncomfortable manner.  The man was evidently there on a mission not to be interfered with by so simple a thing as a broken wrist.

“Well, boys,” Antoine said in a moment, his face relaxing into a smile which was far more terrifying than the previous look of hatred, “it seems that we have come together again!”